U.S. patent application number 17/004444 was filed with the patent office on 2021-03-11 for floating lounge.
This patent application is currently assigned to Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott R. de Grasse.
Application Number | 20210068550 17/004444 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005063764 |
Filed Date | 2021-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210068550 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
de Grasse; Scott R. |
March 11, 2021 |
FLOATING LOUNGE
Abstract
A floating lounge having a substantially planar body portion has
a middle area and an end area on each side of the middle area. A
plurality of apertures located in the middle area extend through
the body portion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the
body portion. Additional apertures smaller than those in the middle
area of the body portion may be arrayed in the outer areas of the
lounge. When a user reclines on the lounge, the weight of the user,
being greatest in the area of the hips, in combination with the
apertures cause the middle area to sink into the water while the
outer areas of the lounge are more buoyant.
Inventors: |
de Grasse; Scott R.;
(Marshfield, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. |
Avon |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Aqua-Leisure Industries,
Inc.
Avon
MA
|
Family ID: |
1000005063764 |
Appl. No.: |
17/004444 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62896123 |
Sep 5, 2019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 15/006 20130101;
B63B 34/52 20200201 |
International
Class: |
A47C 15/00 20060101
A47C015/00; B63B 34/52 20060101 B63B034/52 |
Claims
1. A floating lounge comprising: a buoyant, substantially planar
body portion having a middle area and an outer area on each side of
the middle area; a plurality of apertures located in said middle
area and said outer areas and extending through said body portion
substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body portion, the
apertures being larger in the middle area of the body portion than
in the outer areas.
2. The floating lounge of claim 1 in which the width of the
apertures decrease, the farther the apertures are from the middle
portion.
3. The floating lounge of claim 2 further comprising an inflatable
headrest attached to the body portion.
4. A floating lounge comprising an elongated, substantially
rectangular planar body portion having a plurality of apertures
therethrough, the apertures being larger in the middle area of the
body than in the outer areas of the body portion along the longer
dimensions of the rectangle.
5. A floating lounge comprising an elongated, substantially
rectangular planar body portion having a plurality of apertures
therethrough in the middle area of the body portion along the
longer dimensions of the rectangle so that the middle area has less
buoyance that the other areas of the lounge.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. Section
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/896,123,
entitled "FLOATING LOUNGE," filed on Sep. 5, 2019, which
application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for
all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to recreational flotation
devices, and particularly to floating mattresses or lounges.
Floating mattress or lounges are among the most popular beach,
ocean, lake, and pool recreational devices. They are often
comprised of a relatively planar inflatable bladder that may have a
raised portion, or pillow, at one end.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In one aspect of the instant invention, an inflatable
mattress or lounge is constructed of a substantially planar,
inflatable bladder that has an array of apertures or holes
vertically therethrough, the apertures being relatively larger in
the middle of the mattress or lounge and smaller toward the head
and foot. When the mattress or lounge is on water and a user lies
on the mattress or lounge, the weight of the user's body will
deform or depress the middle area more than the head or foot
portions, and the user will consequently recline in an
ergonomically comfortable position, cooled by contact with the
water.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
figures, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to
scale. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component
illustrated is typically represented by a single numeral. For
purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every
figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention
shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the
figures:
[0005] FIG. 1 depicts a floating lounge according to one aspect of
the instant invention.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the floating lunge of
FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the floating lounge of FIG.
1, as seen from the left end thereof.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates the location of the apertures extending
through the body of the floating lounge of FIGS. 1-3.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates in a side view the shape taken by the
floating lounge when a user is reclining thereon.
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates the shape taken by the floating lounge
when a user is reclining thereon, as seen from the left end of FIG.
1.
[0011] FIG. 7 provides possible dimensions for the floating lounge
in one aspect of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts one aspect of the invention, in which a
lounge 10 includes a body portion 12 and a headrest or cushion 14.
An array of holes or apertures 16A, 16B, and 16C are formed in and
through body portion 12. The largest apertures 16A are located in
the middle area 18 of body portion 12, the next largest apertures
116B are on each side of the array of apertures 16A, and the
smallest apertures are closest to the ends of the body portion 12.
The body portion 12 is here depicted as substantially rectangular,
but other shapes for body portion 12 may be utilized: for example a
circular or oval body with an array of apertures similarly
arranged.
[0013] FIGS. 2 and 3 depict headrest or cushion 14 attached to body
portion 12 by, for example, electron beam welding, but in this
aspect of the invention headrest 14 is not in fluid communication
with the portion 12. Inflation valves 20 and 22 allow inflation of
body portion 12 and headrest 14, respectively. The body portion 12
of lounge 10 is preferably constructed from two sheets of PVC, with
the top sheet welded to the bottom sheet so as to form holes or
apertures 16A, 16B, and 16 C that extend vertically through the
body portion 12.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates in dashed lines the location of the
apertures 16A, 16B, and 16C extending through the body of the
floating lounge of FIGS. 1-3.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, when the inflated lounge is placed on
water and the user reclines on the lounge with his or her head on
headrest 14, the weight of the user, being greatest in the area of
the hips, in combination with the larger holes or apertures 16A,
will cause the middle area 18 of body portion 12 to sink into the
water to a greater depth than the remaining areas of body portion
12, which are more buoyant. In other words, the larger holes 16A
allow the user's body weight to distort the shape of the lounge to
conform with the contour of the user's body. Headrest 14 keeps the
head in a more ergonomic and relaxing position while the immersion
of a part of the user's body provides a welcome cooling effect.
[0016] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a view of the lounge from the foot
end, a similar distortion of the shape of the lounge or mattress
will occur from side-to-side, since the weight of the typical user
will be focused more in the middle area of the lounge than at the
right or left sides thereof.
[0017] In one aspect of the invention, the lounge or mattress may
be dimensioned as shown in FIG. 7. For the formation of the holes
or apertures, 5 mm electron beam welding is recommended.
[0018] It will be recognized that other configurations for the
apertures may be utilized. For example, there could be more
apertures of different sizes as long as the apertures in the middle
area of the floating lounge are relatively larger than those away
from the center, so that there is there is less buoyancy in the
middle area of the lounge, and therefore the weight of the user
will cause the middle area to sag lower than the outer portions of
the lounge. For example, none of the apertures may be of the same
size, as long as the buoyancy of the lounge in the middle area is
less than that at the outer areas of the lounge.
[0019] From the description of at least one embodiment of the
present disclosure, various alternations, modifications and
improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such
alterations, modifications and improvements are intended to be
within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.
* * * * *